Things to do

London borough of Camden » Entertainment » Exhibitions

The Jewish Museum in London is one of the most important cultural centres in Britain that displays some of the most important events in Jewish history such as the Norman conquest of 1066 and the Holocaust during World War II. It is located at two different locations; one is in Finchley while the other on Albert Street in Camden Town, is quite a small one. Both of them hold some of the most interesting and untold secrets of Jewish history shown through displays, artefacts and temporary exhibitions. The Museum is divided into three separate areas - the first incorporating a section displaying British Jewish history, the other an exhibition area and the third one is a gallery displaying Judaica ceremonial art. The highlights of the museum include artefacts like Hanukkah lamps, rimmonim caps and Venetian synagogue Art from the 16th century.

The British Library in London is one of the largest and most important libraries in the world. There are over 150 million research articles, books, journals, newspapers, magazines, music recordings, databases, etc stored in the library. Its standing as a book library comes just next to the American Library of Congress with books dating back to about 300 B.C. According to the Library sources, each year, three million items bought from all over world are added to the library. The place is a great source of information for book lovers, researchers, educationists, teachers, professors and the general public. The statue of the 'thinking' Issac Newton in the premises describes the mindset of those visiting the library.

The British Museum in London is one of the greatest storehouses of human culture and antiquities in the world. Over 7 million objects originating from every corner of the globe and every era, shapes the core of the museum. Since the time human culture started taking its baby steps till the present century, everything is displayed at the museum in a disciplined manner using various themes, permanent and temporary exhibitions and galleries.

The School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS) in London is home to two galleries of which one is the Brunei Gallery. SOAS is an affiliate associated with the University of London offering about 300 undergraduate Bachelor degree programmes. The students at the SOAS regularly hold rotating exhibitions at the Brunei Gallery on the subjects they have studied at school. The gallery promotes both Asian and African culture and art through its exhibitions which are traditional as well as contemporary. Part of Museum Mile, the Brunei Gallery is a three minute walk from the British Museum.

The Magic Circle is an organization for professional and amateur stage magicians who devote their time to the advancement of magic shows and tricks. Entry to the 'The Magic Circle' is made easier if you are seconded by an existing member of the organization and have sufficient knowledge and skills. The Magic Circle is open to the public twice a month where magicians transport the visitors to a world of mystery and illusion. Further, visitors will also discover how magic shows were actually invented many years ago in 4,000 B.C. There is a museum on the precincts, which has exhibits telling the story about magic shows and magicians.

The streets of Doughty, Holborn formed the groundwork for Dickens's famous works such as Oliver Twist and David Copperfield. His home on Number 48 Doughty Street, where he resided from 1837 to 1839 is today converted into a museum to exhibit the world's premium Dickens's related collection. It retains most of the original and rare manuscripts, books, furniture and other items that were a part of Dickens and his family's life.

The Freud Museum was founded in the name of Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud who abandoned Vienna during the Nazi rule. Exhibits belonging to Freud and his family are displayed here which include Freud's psychoanalytic couch, and 18th century painted furniture. It also contains Freud's own personal collection of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Oriental antiquities. There are two other museums in the name of Sigmund Freud, one in Vienna, Austria and the other in the Czech Republic.

Kenwood House, also known as Iveagh Bequest is a stately home located in Hampstead, London. The 17th century neo-classical house has gone through many renovations, the most recent being in autumn 2012. It was last owned by Lord Iveagh, a member of the Guinness family, who donated the house to the government to make it open to the public. Today, it contains paintings from Iveagh's collection. The grounds are partly owned by Kenwood Council, but it is managed by English Heritage.

The London Canal Museum propagates the history of London's ancient canal network, how cargo was transported and how the lives of the people who depended on the waterways were effected by them. The museum is located in an old ice storage warehouse from the 1860's, when ice was brought from Norway in ships/canal boats and stored in the Victorian ice well. Here, you will also get to know about the ice & ice cream trade in London.

Address: 12/13, New Wharf Road, London N1 9RT, United KingdomOpening Hours: Daily, 10:00 am to 4:30 pm and until 7:30 pm on the first Thursday of each month. Tel.: +44 20 7713 0836

The Hunterian Museum at The Royal College of Surgeons has been dedicated to surgical and medical history from the time it originated over four centuries ago. It contains surgical pieces, anatomical models and pathological preparation material amounting to some 3,500 separate artefacts. The museum is named after the Father of Surgery, John Hunter. Displays are in the form of permanent and temporary exhibitions and public events.